Gypsy Jazz

In this course you'll explore 'Gypsy Jazz' through the music of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli. This style is centred around the acoustic guitar and violin, but all instruments are welcome on this course. 

Besides the lessons, there will be plenty of opportunities for jam sessions with your fellow students and teachers, where you can practice what you have learned and pick up ideas from other musicians, learning as you play all night long!

You'll learn how to unlock your Gypsy Jazz sound, improvise in the style, and analyse some classic standards in the genre. As a group, you'll also learn about jam etiquette, ensemble interaction and dynamics, and the importance of learning the correct repertoire.

Through a mixture of group workshops and one-to-one tuition, you'll spend hours playing music together as you deepen your skills in this fascinating genre. 

This course focuses on repertoire originally for violin and guitar, but all instruments at all levels are welcome. Sessions will be tailored to fit individual skill levels. Musicians who already have some knowledge of the music of Django Reinhardt, or a basic understanding of jazz will get the most out of this course. However, you will be heartily welcomed even if you are brand new to playing this style of music.

You will be provided with digital copies of the course repertoire in advance. Please bring printed copies of the music if you prefer to play from hard copies. It will also be helpful to bring a tuner to keep in tune (free tuner apps are available on smart phones).